A “header” is a beam that is used on top of a door or window opening. It is constructed to carry relatively large loads without bending. In wood framing construction, the header is generally a wood beam that is deeper than it is wide and substantially as wide as the wood studs that are used to form the framing wall that includes the door or window opening.
In sheet metal wall construction, it is known to form a header from a pair of sheet metal beams that are bolted together. An example of this construction is disclosed by FIG. 6 of U.S. Pat. No. 6,131,362, granted Oct. 17, 2000, to Robert V. Buecker.
There is a need for a sheet metal header that can be constructed fast and easy from a single sheet-metal member. The principal object of the present invention is to fill this need.
It is also an object of the invention to provide a sheet metal header that is in the nature of a box beam having a downwardly opening lower channel portion sized to receive upper end portions of a pair of studs that define the sides of the window or door opening.